Rivalries are part and parcel of sport but five-time Paralympic champion Hannah Cockroftbelieveshaving British teammate Kare Adenegan as her main competition is driving her onto Tokyo success.

Adenegan beat Cockroft over the T34 100mtwice in 2018: once in the Diamond League in London where the young star set a world record, and later at the European Championships in Berlin.

ButCockroft re-stamped her authority over her younger British rival at the 2019 World Para Athletics Championships,securing double gold in Dubai.

Retaining her crowns in the 100m and 800m ensured the 27-year-old clinched her 11thand 12thtitles atworld level and put her back on top as the one to beat.

Gold wasnt the only glory Cockroft gained in Dubai, as she reclaimed her 100m world recordina time of 16.77 seconds.

But knowing Adenegan is just behind will continue to spur her on.

Kare and I obviously dont talk around the track. Its an odd relationship between us, Cockroft said.

When were on the track were each others top rivals, so you cant be best friends. You cant give the game away to each other, but actually off the track were fine!

Shes a lovely girl, a hard worker and shes given me that competition that Ive been asking for my entire career.

No one can say now, oh youre only winning because theres no one near to you. I won this year because I was the best.

Knowing that Kare is there is what will keep me going through to Tokyo. Ill maybe train harder, it will motivate me.

And I know that Ill be her motivation to try to get that world record back.

Cockroft emerged as an outstanding racer at London 2012 when she secured theParalympicsprint double,winning the T34 100m and 200m.

Four years later and Hurricane Hannah retained her 100m title in Rio de Janeiro but also added gold medals in the 400m and 800m to her palmares.

With this yearsWorld Para Athletics Championships not taking place until November,the 2020 Paralympics are closer than they would ordinarily be.

ButCockrofthas beento get stuck back into trainingalmostimmediatelysince Dubai,continuingto make her mark with Tokyo on the horizon.

Its a healthy rivalry. I think its what every sports person needs to really show what they can do and get the best out of them, Cockroft added.

And hopefully people enjoy watching what we do. But I think in my head Im so aware that Tokyo is rapidly coming closer and it was such a long season.

Also, my fire is burning now, I want to keep being the best in the world. I know there are things I want to work on, and I just want to get out there and do it now.

Every athlete is the same after theWorldChampionships. We all said I just want to carry on through! I feel like I should be training! I cant afford the break.

Its a very busy next 12 months coming up but Im looking forward to most of it.

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Cockroft: Having Kare as competition will motivate me for Tokyo - Isle of Wight County Press